Austin, Allen, Block make 3A all-state teams

Three from the Central State Eight Conference have been named among the 10 best boys basketball players statewide in Class 3A.

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By Staff Report

The State Journal-Register

By Staff Report

Posted Mar. 20, 2014 at 5:18 PM
Updated Mar 20, 2014 at 8:44 PM

By Staff Report

Posted Mar. 20, 2014 at 5:18 PM
Updated Mar 20, 2014 at 8:44 PM

Three from the Central State Eight Conference have been named among the 10 best boys basketball players statewide in Class 3A.

Chatham Glenwood High School senior Peyton Allen and Lanphier senior Larry Austin Jr. both were named first-team all-state by The Associated Press, and junior Gavin Block of state semifinalist Lincoln was named to the second team.

Voting was done by a 21-member state-wide panel of sports writers and sportscasters.

The 6-foot-5 Allen, who has made an oral commitment to Texas A&M, was the No. 2 vote-getter behind Normal University's Ohio State-bound Keita Bates-Diop.

Austin, who has signed with Tennessee, was the No. 3 vote-getter. Rounding out the first team were 6-7 senior Josh Cunningham of state semifinalist Chicago Morgan Park and University of Illinois recruit Michael Finke of Champaign Centennial.

Joining the 6-6 Block on the second team were Luwane Pipkins of Chicago Orr, Kurt Hall of North Chicago, Tyquone Greer of Chicago Orr and Thomas Kopleman, who plays for Lincoln's opponent in the state semifinals, Rockford Lutheran.

Allen led the CS8 with an average of 26.8 points per game, and he finished his Glenwood career with a school-record 2,086 points. In Allen's four varsity seasons, Glenwood was 82-45 and won three straight regional titles.

Austin was second in the CS8 in scoring with an average of 22.2 points per game. He also averaged 7.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 4.2 steals a game. For his career, Austin scored 1,811 points, and the Lions were 87-30 with Austin in the lineup all four years. Lanphier was fourth at the Class 3A state tournament

in 2012.

Block is the leading scorer for a Lincoln team that finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the state by the AP. Block averages 15.8 points and 5.9 rebounds a game.